DINKACHE LADOO / GOND LADDU

This is a time saving and low cal recipe of Dinkache ladoo, as it is called in marathi.

As a child I would love to have these laddus which were strictly rationed by my grandmother. The big aluminium container used to be a priced possession of her until all laddus were consumed.

The process of making these winter special laddus used to be an elaborate process, right from purchasing the ingredients to sun drying the ingredients to the actual making.

Dinkache ladoo or gond ke laddu made from edible gum and dry fruits is prepared in different parts of India. The preparation varies from region to region. This particular recipe is a Maharashtrian style preparation.

Dinkache ladoo is had mostly during winters. They are full of energy and nutrients . They are consumed by new mothers for good health.

Traditionally, most of the ingredients are fried in ghee or clarified butter. My variation of this recipe requires one fourth amount of the ghee.

Also in olden days all the ingredients used to be sun dried for 2 to 3 days to get rid of any moisture.

Recipe for Dinkache ladoo

Ingredients for Dinkache laddo

• 100gms edible gum
• 2 cups dry coconut
• 1/3 cup almonds (badam)
• ½ cup cashews (kaju)
• ½ cup ker beeja
• 1 cup dried dates (khareek)
• 1 tbsp poppy seeds (khuskhus)
• ½ tsp carom seeds (ajwain)
• 250gms jaggery (gur)
• 100ml water
• 4 tbsp clarified butter (ghee)

How to make

In a microwave safe dish microwave edible gum or dink for 5 minutes (without ghee). Remove the popped gum pieces. If any of gum pieces have not popped, microwave again for 2 minutes.

Dry roast grated coconut until golden in colour.

Dry roast poppy seeds and caraway seeds for couple of minutes.

Now microwave almonds, cashews and ker beeja for 4 to 5 minutes until pink in colour. As I forgot to add ker beeja to the same dish, it took me extra 5 minutes to do that. Skip the ker beeja if not available.

Roast the dry dates in one tablespoon of ghee for 3 to 4 minutes on low heat. Cool it. Make a coarse powder in mixer.

Melt jaggery with water in a pan. Bring it to a boil. Boil until the syrup coats the spoon.

Mix all the dry ingredients in a big mixing bowl. Add 4 tablespoon of clarified butter or ghee to it.

Pour jaggery syrup in the mixture. Mix well. Let it cool for 5 minutes.

Take some mixture between your palms and press gently to shape them into irregular balls. This mixture will yield you 16 laddus.

Clean your hand with water and dry them. Now reshape the irregular balls into round laddus. This procedure has to be done while the mixture is still warm.

Dinkache ladoo can be stored for a month or more but they usually get consumed much before the given shelf life.